Shared instance versus dedicated instance
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SQL Server can be configured as a single instance per server or as multiple instances. The right decision usually depends on factors such as whether the server is to be used for production or development, whether the instance is considered critical to business operations and performance goals.
Shared instance configurations may be initially easier to configure, but it can lead to problems where resources become divided or locked, which in turn causes performance issues for other applications that have databases hosted on the shared SQL Server instance.
Troubleshooting performance issues can be complicated because you must figure out which instance is the root cause. This question is weighed against the costs of operating system licenses and SQL Server licenses. If application performance is paramount, then a dedicated instance is highly recommended.
Microsoft licenses SQL Server per core at the server level and not per instance. For this reason, database administrators are tempted to install as many SQL Server instances as the server can handle to save on licensing costs, which can lead to major performance issues later.
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NetApp recommends choosing dedicated SQL Server instances whenever possible to obtain optimal performance. |